HARRISBURG, Pa.–A Harrisburg woman plead guilty Thursday in the starvation death of her 5-month-old daughter.
Dionne Bishop, 30, plead guilty to third degree murder and endangering the welfare of children. Bishop was sentenced to 13 to 30 years in state prison.
Officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of Naudain Street in Harrisburg for a report of a baby that was having difficulty breathing on May 8, 2015. Bishop’s five-month-old daughter, Lakia Hardy was taken to Harrisburg Hospital, where she died. An autopsy showed Lakia died of complications caused by child maltreatment syndrome. Authorities concluded her death was caused by malnutrition, starvation and dehydration. Lakia weighed only 4.8 pounds when she died, prosecutors said.
Bishop also plead guilty to also pleaded guilty to the charges of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children related to the near death of Lakia’s twin sister, Lamia Hardy.
Lamia was also found at the home in May 2015 and appeared malnourished. She was admitted to Hershey Medical Center the same day Lakia died. Doctors said Lamia was emaciated and could have died. Another concern at the hospital was the fact that Lamia was not being properly treated for a blood clotting condition, investigators said. She had been in the hospital in January 2015 for pneumonia and the hospital discovered her blood clotting condition. They prescribed shots (Lovenox) that Bishop was supposed to give to Lamia. Lamia was discharged from the hospital in January with only an 8 day supply. Bishop was provided a prescription to refill the prescribed medication but never picked up the prescribed medication.
Prosecutors say the failure to follow through with the proscribed treatments threatened Lamia’s life. Therefore, the hospital in May had to start Lamia on the prescribed medical shots again.
The twin’s father, Leviticus Hardy, is also facing charges in Lakia’s death. His trial is scheduled for February.
